A cryptographic system is a data processing, information processing, computing system, or the like which includes cryptographic applications and/or functions. Examples of cryptographic systems include secure email systems, smartcards, point of sales terminals, network routers, and the like including methods such as digital signatures, cryptographic hash functions, key management techniques, and the like. Cryptographic systems comprise cryptographic primitives of various levels of complexity.
Typical cryptographic systems include algorithms for key generation, encryption, and decryption. Ciphers refer to a pair of algorithms, one for encryption and one for decryption. Cryptographic systems commonly use a key generation algorithm and often exploit public key techniques and/or symmetric key techniques.